Add or Change General Purchase Order Information

If you created a new purchase order from the Polaris shortcut bar, the Purchase Order workform opens with blank fields. However, if you used a template to create the purchase order, some information may already be copied from the template.

To add or change the information on the General view of the Purchase Order workform:

1. Open the Purchase Order workform.

Tip:
You can change the purchase order number and purchase order suffix before and after the purchase order is released. When you change the original purchase order number and/or suffix, the Properties sheet displays the original numbers for tracking purposes.

2. If your library does not use system-generated purchase order numbers, type the purchase order number in the Number box. The purchase order number can be up to 30 characters long.

Note:
You can type over the system-generated purchase order number to change it, if necessary. System-generated purchase order numbers are set in Polaris Administration. For more information, see Enable automatic purchase order numbers.

3. Type the suffix in the box to the right of the Number box. A suffix is not required, but you can search for purchase orders by their suffix. You can enter a suffix for either system-generated or manually-entered purchase order numbers. The purchase order number suffix can be up to 8 characters long.

Important:
When EDI orders are sent, only the purchase order number is transmitted to the supplier. The suffix is not transmitted with the number. If the supplier has a limit on the number of characters in a purchase order number, an error message appears when you attempt to release the order.

4. Select the type of order in the Order type box.

Tip:
See Order Types, Payment Methods, and Fund Types.

5. Select the payment from the Payment method box.
6. If applicable, enter the following optional information:
   • name of the person authorizing the purchase in the Authorization box
   • name of the plan in the Plan name box
   • date when rental items need to be returned in the Rental return box.
7. Click Find next to the Supplier Name box.

The Find Tool appears.

8. Search for and select the supplier to which you will send the purchase order.

The name of the supplier appears in the Supplier Name box.

Note:
If you want to use a foreign supplier, you can limit the search by currency code. When the purchase order is linked to a supplier that uses a different currency from your base currency, the amounts will be displayed in the foreign currency with the currency code next to the total on the Charges view of the Purchase Order workform. Set up a supplier record for a foreign vendor.

Note:
To enter another identifier for the purchase order, type it in the External ID box. You can search for purchase orders in the Polaris Find Tool by the External ID number.

9. Select File > Save.

Related Information

• Claiming data in the purchase order - Any claiming or cancellation data in the supplier record are copied to the purchase order when you select the supplier. You can change the claim data on the purchase order, but you must first select a supplier. Changing the claiming and cancellation data on the purchase order does not change the supplier record. For instructions on adding or changing the claiming data, see Add or change claiming information for an order.
• Entering purchase order header charges - You can add header charges for the purchase order as a whole, such as shipping charges, in the Header Charges section of the Purchase Order workform. But, since the exact amounts for these charges are not known until the invoice is received, it may be preferable to enter these charges in the Invoice workform. See Add or change invoice header charges and credits.
• Funds at the purchase order line item segment level - Each purchase order line item segment must have a fund associated with it. For information on allocating funds for a purchase order line item segment, see Add purchase order line item segments.